Professional+Development

Professional Development Use this page to showcase the Professional Development you have attended  [|Thinking with Technology] - No it's not all about ICT. It aims to teach teachers to [|plan effective units of work] using [|higher order thinking skills]. Intel has three thinking tools available for use: [|Visual Ranking], [|Showing Evidence], [|Seeing Reason]. The site is not easy to navigate but is full of useful tools. There are also lots of [|unit plans] that can be used as is or adapted to suit your needs. I am now a "Master Trainer " : ) and have to run a PD later in the year - so stay tuned

TPL- We started off looking at intervention programs/strategies in Literacy for "at risk children" in Grades 3 & 4 It soon became evident that the answer was not so narrow. Because of the scope of literacy we narrowed it down to reading. Our findings can be summed up in this table impacting on reading success for students in Grades 3 /4 ** || ** Evidence ** || ** Possible solutions ** || e.g. diluted or differing views on how to deliver Early Years || **Lack of Whole School agreement e.g. Lack **Column ** of Whole School Literacy Plan and adequate timetabling   **  || Tends to alter markedly from Prep-2 where assessment is designed to develop students’ reading skills and years 3 /4 where students’ ability to learn through reading is the focus. Accessing appropriate diagnostic testing for targeted teaching is also problematic. || ** Insufficient provision of support ** for teachers administering individual assessment Receptiveness to new learning || ** Ineffective models of pedagogy ** Lack of differentiation Lack of support for intervention beyond grade one || ** Opportunities to grow as a teacher in order to grow students ** Coaching and mentoring Targeted Professional Development Structured Professional Reading Instructional Leadership Teacher Professional Leave || Less emphasis on reading with children at home as students move into middle primary years and develop basic independent reading skills || ** Parent education ** Parent involvement in classrooms with training Continued emphasis on parent / school partnerships || By Grades 3 /4 underachievers in reading feel helpless following repeated failure Lower expectations for success and lower persistence for reading Attribute failure to themselves and success to factors beyond their control || ** Additional Support ** through intervention programs delivered by skilled practitioners Accurate diagnostic assessment and targeted direct teaching and practice ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">** Major factors identified as negatively
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Inconsistency in teaching practices **
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Approaches to teaching literacy vary from one grade to another, confusing students ** || **<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Establish a Professional and Development Culture that creates an environment which skills teachers and promotes respect, cohesion, and shared goals **
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Whole school Literacy Plan <span style="font-size: 10.8pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">with school community input <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> **
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">An agreed upon balanced literacy program and appropriate timetabling **
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">** Assessment **
 * Inadequate assessment materials ** for accurately informing targeted teaching || <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">** Provision of appropriate diagnostic tools and support for administration **.
 * Whole **** School **** assessment schedule **
 * Start Early – ** teach the skills starting from prep that students are going to be assessed on in grade 3 / 4 ||
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">** Teacher Capacity **
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">** Parental Involvement ** || <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">** Parents less visible at school **
 * <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">** Student self-efficacy / engagement ** || <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">** Poor motivation and reluctance to read **